The Mitsubishi 380 was the last of a long line of cars locally designed and built by the Japanese giant in Australia. Instead of sticking with the market segment it knew best, that of the medium-large family car, Mitsubishi made the mistake of trying to tackle Holden and Ford head-on in the family-car market. Hindsight says that if the 380 had been called the new-generation Magna it may well have succeeded, but it didn’t happen.

Though the 380 was based on an American/Japanese Mitsubishi design, many changes were made to suit Australian road conditions, as well as local drivers’ tastes.

The 380’s 3.8-litre engine is a stretched version of the 3.5-litre unit used with a great deal of success in the Magna. There is good torque throughout the normally-used part of the rev range. Most of the engines sit alongside a five-speed automatic transmission, but Mitsubishi continued to offer a five-speed manual gearbox on some variants.

Interior room is a big feature of the Mitsubishi 380, with space and comfort both being well above normal in the rear seat. Access to the rear seat is better than average and this is a genuine family machine for those with kids at the hulking teen stage of their lives. The in-cabin styling is pleasing to the eye in a semi-sports manner.

Handling is good, all the more so when you remember this is a big front-wheel-drive family machine, not a sports sedan. Road grip is high and the car generally feels neutral until it approaches its higher than average on-road limits.

Disappointing sales right from the start led to the introduction of the Mitsubishi 380 Series 2 only six after the October 2005 launch. Prices were slashed, with the range starting $7000 down on the initial models. Which didn’t do a lot for those who had bought the early cars, but was good news for used-car buyers.

A special model called the Mitsubishi 380 Platinum Edition was launched in October 2006. Based on the Mitsubishi 380 SX, the Platinum came with a powered sunroof, rear park assist, a rear spoiler and Bluetooth connectivity. It could be identified by its platinum-coloured radiator grilles and rear bumper insert, as well as by special ‘Platinum’ badges.

 

The simple underbonnet layout and good access mean you can do a fair bit of your own service and repair work. As always, we suggest you leave safety items to professionals, and have a workshop manual to study before commencing work.

Insurance costs are generally in the lower quarter of the scale. We have seen some companies charge extra for the Mitsubishi 380 GT compared with the standard model. This perhaps reflects on the type of buyers attracted to the car, but remember there's no additional engine performance compared with the standard 380.

The sad end of the Mitsubishi 380, and local manufacturing in Australia, was announced on February 5, 2008. MMAL said that production would cease and that the Tonsley Park factory would be closed down. The company remains active in Australia and spare parts and servicing are still offered through a large number of Mitsubishi dealers Australia wide.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Few Mitsubishi 380s have done a lot of work at this stage, though some that have been on car rental fleets could have had a rough life. Try and check the history of the one you're considering.

Be sure the engine starts quickly and idles smoothly within a few seconds of kicking over.

Look for smoking at the exhaust, especially after the engine is worked hard after it has been idling for a while.

Automatic transmission problems that plagued the Magna for many years don’t seem to have carried across to the new 380. Watch for an automatic that shifts gear when it doesn’t need to, or which suddenly shifts into neutral for no reason.

 

Look and feel the front tyres for uneven wear, this could mean front suspension problems, or it might simply be that a wheel has been bumped out of alignment. Play it safe if there's the slightest doubt.

Make sure the brakes pull the car up in a straight line and that the ABS system sends a pulsing through the pedal on very hard braking. Don’t forget to check your mirrors before doing these tests.

Rust is not normally a problem but a car that's been poorly repaired after a crash could have some troubles. If you do suspect a major crash has been rectified it pays to have a professional to completely inspect the car.

Look for signs of damage to seats, carpets and other trim caused by careless use. Don't forget to check the boot as well as the cabin. Examine the top of the dash panel and the rear parcel shelf for faded, or cracked, plastic caused by constant exposure to sunlight.